Emley A.F.C.

History

The original Emley club were founded in 1903 and were members of the Huddersfield District League, Yorkshire League and Northern Counties East League, before winning promotion to the Northern Premier League in 1989. In 2000 new ground grading regulations introduced by the Northern Premier League forced Emley to relocate to Belle Vue in Wakefield, although the reserve team continued to play at the Welfare Ground in Emley. In 2002 the club was renamed Wakefield & Emley, and when the reserve team (which still played in Emley) was disbanded in 2005, supporters of the original club decided to establish a new club based in Emley under the name A.F.C. Emley. The following year Wakefield & Emley was renamed Wakefield, and remained in the Northern Premier League until disbanding in 2014.

A new Emley club was established in 2005 and joined Division One of the West Yorkshire League for the 2005–06 season. After finishing third in their first season, they were promoted to Division One of the Northern Counties East League. In 2015–16 they finished fourth in Division One, qualifying for the promotion play-offs. After beating Penistone Church 1–0 in the semi-finals, they lost 4–3 on penalties to Bottesford Town in the final after a 1–1 draw. Striker Ashley Flynn finished the season with 73 goals, a league record. In 2016–17 the club finished third, missing out on automatic promotion on goal difference; they went on to lose 3–1 to Penistone Church in the play-off semi-finals.

In March 2019 it was announced that the club would be renamed Emley A.F.C. from the start of the 2019–20 season, five years after the original club was dissolved. The club were transferred to Division One North of the North West Counties League for the 2019–20 season. They were fourth in Division One North with games in hand on two clubs above them by mid-March 2020, but the season was the abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They were subsequently transferred back to Division One of the Northern Counties East League for the 2020–21 season and were top of the league when the season was abandoned in February 2021. In May 2021 the club were promoted to the Premier Division based on their results in the two abandoned seasons. In 2022–23 they won the Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup, beating Maltby Main 2–0 in the final.

The 2023–24 season saw Emley win the NCEL Premier Division title, securing promotion to Division One East of the Northern Premier League. In the following season they finished fifth in Division One East, before losing 1–0 to Dunston in the play-off semi-finals.

Season-by-season record

Ground

The club plays at the Welfare Ground in Emley. It has a capacity of 2,000, of which 1,000 is covered and 305 seated. The ground is shared with the local cricket club is therefore three-sided; the Warburton End, which consists of a small terrace and uncovered hard standing behind one goal; the Main stand (Alec Hardy Stand) side which has a small terrace section below the seats, uncovered terracing and hard flat standing towards the Warburton end, small area of terrace steps at the other end housing the clubs offices, changing rooms and sports bar; and the Richard Hirst Stand (also known as The Shed), a low covered terrace behind the other goal which is home to Emley's vocal supporters and supporters' flags. During the football season, a fence is erected along the cricket field side. The main stand and dugouts were upgraded during summer 2023 with new seats being brought in from the Kirklees Stadium. An electronic scoreboard was installed at the Warburton end during the 2023–24 season and new LED floodlights were installed in the summer of 2024. Hospitality facilities were installed in the summer of 2025 at the Warburton end and also down the stand side.

Rivals

Emley have a local rivalry with Golcar United in the 'Huddersfield derby'. as well a cross county rivalry with South Yorkshire-based Penistone Church. Ossett United, Brighouse Town and Liversedge are also local rivals.

Management hierarchy

Honours

• Northern Counties East League
  • Premier Division champions 2023–24
• Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup
  • Winners 2022–23

Records

• Best FA Cup performance: Third qualifying round, 2023–24
• Best FA Trophy performance: Second qualifying round, 2024–25
• Best FA Vase performance: Quarter-finals, 2023–24

References

References

1. Williams, Mike. (2012). "Non-League Club Directory 2013".
2. [https://www.thenpl.co.uk/teams/emley Emley] Northern Premier League
3. Shaw, Martin. (14 October 2023). "Emley AFC unveil new-look stand with 305 seats from the John Smith's Stadium".
4. [https://www.emleyafc.co.uk/a/history-of-the-club-66721.html The History of AFC Emley] A.F.C. Emley
5. {{fchd
6. {{fchd
7. "Wakefield FC "to be wound up" – statement from AFC Emley".
8. [http://www.ncefl.org.uk/news/league/2016/4009-photosfromannualdinner/ Photos from Annual Dinner] Northern Counties East League
9. [http://www.ncefl.org.uk/teams/afcemley/news/ Pewits to change name to Emley AFC] Northern Counties East League, 19 March 2018
10. Downes, Steven. (29 July 2022). "It's the big kick-off for Golcar United and Emley AFC as rival clubs go head-to-head in the NCEL Premier Division for the first time this season".
11. (30 December 2022). "Fan gallery: It was a right rumble at the Emley AFC v Penistone Church – were you there to see it?".
12. [https://web.archive.org/web/20231208215947/http://ncefl.org.uk/teams/emleyafc/ Emely AFC] Northern Counties East League